142 – Night Bloom Pledge -1-

[Sion Testarossa: If you’re free tomorrow, I’d like to meet with Clara.]

‘···.’

After agonizing over Sion’s message, Ichinose eventually accepted the invitation.

As long as those two girls clung to Rohan like sticky rice cakes, it was a relationship he’d eventually have to confront properly.

The intention behind this meeting was hard to surmise, but there were certainly things they each wanted to ask.

And so, the Sunday of the appointed meeting arrived.

Having been warned not to overexert himself, just in case, his dawn training was suspended for today.

He slept soundly, enough to relieve the mental fatigue. Slowly, he prepared to go out.

Before lunchtime, with the meeting time still far off, Ichinose left the dorm.

He also left a note and some snacks on the table for Noah, in case she dropped by unexpectedly for a meal.

Clack. Clack. Clack.

Ichinose, hugging his sword, quickened his step with a slight sense of anticipation.

‘The weather is lovely.’

The warm sunlight, which he couldn’t feel in the dungeon.

Simply walking down the street, absorbing the small noises of everyday life, was enough to refresh him.

The only regrettable thing…

It would be wonderful if Rohan were walking beside him.

They were always together in the dungeon, so his absence felt even more pronounced.

“···.”

Having moved far enough from the dorm to enter an area lined with businesses, Ichinose turned on his smartphone.

He opened his eyes and continued navigating with his fingers.

“It would be troublesome to be late for our appointment…”

He’d left early not because he was spatially challenged or prone to getting lost. He wanted to enjoy a leisurely stroll.

It just so happened he couldn’t remember the meeting place Shion had sent, so he’d opened the map.

In any case, Ichinose’s head was filled with such rationalizations.

“Huh?”

Even while heading toward his destination, Ichinose kept checking the map, worried he’d gotten lost again.

The place Shion had chosen was surprisingly secluded.

Not a hub of infrastructure, but a residential area where people lived.

[Wooden Place]

The sign confirmed this was the cafe.

Not a franchise. A privately-owned cafe Ichinose had never seen before.

Who would’ve thought there’d be a cafe in such a quiet spot?

Ichinose checked the time again.

He wasn’t late.

“Hoo… shall I go in?”

Shion and Clara were already inside.

A subtle tension rose within him.

He pushed open the door. Jingle! The bell chimed.

After exchanging light greetings with the welcoming staff, Ichinose headed inside.

“What a lovely cafe.”

Not large, but cozy. He liked the wood interior and the smell of coffee.

Just a few more steps.

They had, of course, sensed his presence, so as he approached, they stood to greet him.

“Thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.”

“Ah, hello…!”

Shion and Clara. They both looked more dressed up than yesterday.

Subtly conscious of their appearance.

“…They’re both remarkably beautiful. And she is unusually beautiful, even for an elf.”

Ichinose gave a slight bow and sat across from them.

The table was free, so she picked up the machine beside it and checked the menu first.

“Have you two had your meal yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Um, my sister and I were just going to grab a small bite here… Would you like to join us…?”

“Thank you. Shall we?”

Ichinose offered a smile at Clara’s cautious words.

They continued with their order.

Ichinose chose an Americano, Sion an Einspänner, and Clara an iced chocolate.

They finished by ordering caramel French toast and a brunch dish as well.

Silence descended on the table after the order was placed.

Ichinose wondered if she should ask why she was sought out, or if she should continue with small talk a little longer to gauge the atmosphere.

While she was pondering, Sion spoke first.

“Rohan asked about you today.”

Ichinose’s shoulders twitched at the name Rohan.

She tried to focus her attention, but there was something that snagged on Sion’s words.

“Not yesterday, but today? It’s almost lunchtime… Did you meet Rohan today…?”

“Yes. It was a conversation that came up while we were having breakfast together. Rohan is in training right now.”

“…”

Ichinose was at a loss for words from the very beginning.

Questions bubbled up like foam in Ichinose’s mind, but Sion didn’t give her an opening and continued her words.

“He asked what the commonalities might be between me, Clara, and Ichinose Yui.”

“…Commonalities?”

“He said he couldn’t think of anything other than that we were all pretty and strong.”

The corners of Ichinose’s mouth twitched with pleasure.

She knew that Sion and Clara were paying attention to her actions, but she couldn’t control her expression of joy.

It took Ichinose quite a while to regain her composure, and she cleared her throat, attempting to gloss over it.

“Ahem…! Is this a meeting to find those commonalities, then?”

“No.”

At Sion’s resolute denial, their orders began to arrive.

The employee carefully filled the table and disappeared.

Clara nervously sipped at her sugary drink.

The other two lightly refreshed themselves as well.

This time, Ichinose revealed her curiosity.

“Would you mind if I asked something?”

“Of course not.”

“Might I ask where Clara-ssi is from?”

The sudden attention startled her. Clara pulled the straw from her lips, hesitating, before her voice finally emerged.

“I… I’m from, from Xeno…”

“Xeno. I see.”

Quite far indeed.

Ichinose knew of Xeno’s current state, practically lawless due to civil strife. She could guess why Clara had come to the Academy City.

“Do you have any other questions for me?”

“Right now, I’m most curious about why the two of you sought me out.”

At Ichinose’s words, Sion and Clara exchanged a glance.

A small nod passed between them, and Sion willingly took the lead, launching straight into the matter like a bullet.

“Ichinose-nim, do you not hold feelings for Rohan?”

“!”

There was no need to ask what kind of feelings she meant.

She simply froze, stiff as a board, still clutching her glass.

“Are Clara and I mistaken?”

“…”

Ichinose set her glass back on the table with a clink.

She wanted to speak, but her hand felt weak, as if she might drop it.

“As Ichinose-nim surely already knows, Clara and I wish to spend our lives with Rohan.”

Her voice was confident, though the end trembled slightly.

Sion’s calm expression and the blush creeping up her pointed ears were captivating, even to another woman.

“I see…”

Ichinose had anticipated that youthful affection. But to have it confirmed so resolutely was still surprising.

That doll-like girl as well… just what had Rohan done to ensnare even an elf?

She truly wanted to demand an answer.

“Thus, I desire to hear Ichinose-nim’s heart.”

“…”

“I wish to know if you are a rival, or someone with whom we can clasp hands.”

“Clasp hands…? What meaning do you imply?”

“If you would first share your sentiments regarding Rohan, I shall elaborate further on that point.”

Ichinose reached not for the warm coffee, but cool water.

She drank in gulps, suppressing her emotions and offering praise first.

“You two possess quite the discerning eye.”

“Yes?”

“I did not anticipate the fact that I hold Rohan in good regard would be discovered. Perhaps you two will be the only ones to realize.”

“…?”

Did Ichinose truly believe she concealed her feelings so well?

Could it be she even thought her own parents were unaware?

Sion and Clara felt their lips itching to speak, but restrained themselves.

This display of brilliance, yet occasional cluelessness, appeared to be a unique charm possessed by the young woman.

“Ichinose-nim. I must implore you to speak plainly. Does holding Rohan in good regard simply end at mere interest?”

“That is…”

It seemed she found it difficult to vocalize the words directly.

Sion began to press onward, determined to hear Ichinose’s true feelings.

“Do you harbor affections for Rohan, as Clara and I do?”

“…”

Ichinose’s face flushed red, her fingernails tapping a staccato rhythm against the teacup.

She faced her heart, yet acknowledging and confessing it to another proved a difficult endeavor.

“Is it true that you harbor the desire to wed Rohan, and bring forth no less than three children?”

“Ma, marriage?!”

Ichinose’s voice grew louder with fluster.

Attention from those nearby began to focus upon them, and Ichinose covered her mouth with both hands.

Even so, the heat in her face refused to subside.

“Is that not the case?”

“I have not yet considered it to that extent…”

“Even so, I imagine your heart isn’t quite light.”

Ichinose gave a small nod.

He couldn’t deny it.

The gesture was answer enough.

Shion shifted the subject slightly.

“Recently, there’s a girl who’s been sending pictures and calling Rohan.”

“Who is it…?”

“Lethe. The girl Rohan rescued at the shopping mall.”

“Ah!”

It’s been quite some time, and she’s still keeping in touch.

Hearing it now, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.

“She’s been actively trying to meet Rohan, mentioning things like festivals on the Sepia Islands and school events.”

“…”

Seeing things like that made her feel suffocated, even while admiring the other girl’s determination, Shion lamented to Ichinose.

“As Ichinose-nim knows, Rohan is quite popular. Watching it all, we desperately want to do something, but Clara and I don’t have the experience and can’t recklessly interfere.”

“O-Oh, I’m scared of being hated by Onii-chan…”

Clara’s words held a genuinely sorrowful emotion.

This wasn’t just an overreaction. Ichinose understood that feeling now.

“We’d like to meet and talk to Lethe directly, but the circumstances aren’t permitting it.”

“Is today one of those circumstances?”

At Ichinose’s question, Shion nodded.

As if signaling that she would now reveal the purpose of this gathering, she got to the main point.

“I understand that Ichinose-nim hails from the Samhwa Kingdom.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“So I would like to ask…”

Ichinose listened intently.

“If someone like Clara holds such values, even if it’s not common in your own country, would you be open to accepting polygamy?”

“Ah…”

What Shion meant by ‘holding hands’.

Ichinose understood it instantly.

Ichinose, his lips moving hesitantly, searching for an answer.

Sion and Clara watched, eyes alight with anticipation.